Fulfillment in Work & Life Involves...

Understanding the Dangers of Perfectionism

The negative traits of perfectionism separate people from the ability to connect with the true self. It is the true self that engenders a feeling of fulfillment and encourages generosity toward ourselves and others.

When we are continually seeking something more perfect, we miss celebrating our successes and learning from our failures in the present. We need both because they are our greatest allies to positive growth and change. They help us find the fulfillment we all desire and deserve.

Avoiding Burnout

Burnout is a sickness of the soul; a resistance to living through the authentic self, which goes hand-in-hand with perfectionism.

When feeling imperfect we overextend ourselves to achieve not just in work but in all areas of our life. Perfectionism kindles the fire of burnout while overextension fans the flames. Perfection is not the path to fulfillment: excellence is. When we pursue excellence instead of perfection we empower ourselves to become better today than we were yesterday.

Fulfillment, the antidote for burnout, comes when we are at peace with ourselves, aligned with our values and living an authentic life.

Self-Knowledge

Who you truly are leads you to what you genuinely want to do and experience: a career and a life that are fulfilling.

Through self-reflection, self-correction, and self-trust, you will find the freedom to simply be and to do what comes naturally.

Knowing Your Strengths, Values, and Needs

Balance encourages fulfillment.

Your strengths, values, and needs are the pebbles of stability.

When stacked together they promote confidence, courage, and authenticity and move you closer to your genuine desires.

Knowing Your True Temperament - Extrovert or Introvert

Simply put, extroversion and introversion are about how we recharge our emotional, physical, and spiritual batteries: if introverted, by being alone and living and working in a less stimulating environment - if extroverted, by being around others more often and living/working in a more stimulating environment.

Most of us adapt this part of our temperaments in childhood to get along and fit in. By the time we are adults we are not quite sure where we fit on the spectrum of introversion and extroversion.

When honoring our true temperament we are able to awaken our natural energy and vitality which is an essential element of fulfillment.

Connecting to Your Unique Skill Set

We all have skill or talent that comes to us naturally. Something we use every day but are unaware of. Something we are passionate about sharing with or teaching to others.

Uncovering this skill is key in finding fulfilling work and living the life you desire.

As children we go through life, for the most part, doing what comes naturally to us and celebrating even the smallest new skill we learn. But as we get older and become adults we tend to focus more on finding a job that will support us, and hopefully be tolerable. After all, it is supposed to be work. Right?

The combination of both is where fulfillment resides. What you love and enjoyed doing naturally combined with the skills you learned as an adult (even when you took a wrong turn) is where the passion lies in work and life.

Quieting the Critical Inner Voice

That nagging, judgmental, abusively self-critical voice inside our heads feeds the false self and very often keeps us from success personally and professionally.

Understanding the origin of the critical inner voice and confronting its negative assaults helps restore the true self. The true self nurtures self-development, creativity and self-esteem, and moves us toward fulfillment.

Living in the Present Moment

The past is over, the future is yet to be, the present is a gift.

Resistance to living in the present moment directs our energy away from the natural intuitive flow of life, tangles us in the past, and keeps us worried about the future.

As Taro Gold noted in Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Little Book of Eastern Wisdom, "Master your past in the present, or the past will master your future."